Michigan State University

Awi Licensing Company

Manjusri Misra

Lawrence T Drzal

Amar Kumar Mohanty

Brian P Rook

Kelby Thayer

Wanjun Liu

Geeta Mehta

Jean-Pierre L Dwan'Isa

Hwanman Park

Preveen Tummala

Arief C Wibowo

A thermoplastic polymer composition reinforced with fibers such as cellulose or other fillers, particularly from natural sources, and a process for manufacturing the composition are disclosed. The polymer is extruded with a salt which reduces the melting point and pelletized. The pellets are then extruded again with the filler. The composition with the filler can then be melted at the reduced melting temperature to manufacture an article.

Filler reinforced thermoplastic compositions and process for manufacture

A process for the manufacture of natural fiber and polymer composites is described. Thermoplastically processed plasticized soy flour based plastics are used with thermoplastic polymers. Polymers of soy flour and an in situ polymerized polyvinyl polymer which links proteins and carbohydrates in the flour to form the polymer are used. The composites are useful in engineering materials.

Cellulosic biomass soy flour based biocomposites and process for manufacturing thereof

Polymeric materials and products, including sheet flooring materials prepared from the polymeric materials, and processes for preparing the polymeric materials, are disclosed. The polymeric materials include a polylactic acid-based polymer in combination with plasticizer and a compatibilizer, and optionally include a filler. The polymeric material can include between about 30 to about 50 percent by weight polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, ethylene vinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polyolefins modified with polar groups, for example, ionomers. The plasticizer is typically an epoxidized vegetable oil or esterified and epoxidized vegetable oil and is typically present in an amount of between about 10 and about 50% by weight. In some embodiments, the compatibilizer is a polyolefin modified with one or more polar functional groups, and is typically present in an amount of between about 5 and about 10% by weight. The material can be used in decorative surface coverings, such as a floor coverings, particularly when it is in the form of a polymeric sheet. The polymeric material can be present in at least one layer of a floor covering, which floor covering can also include one or more additional layers such as wear layers, foamed or foamable layers, top coat layers and design layers. The additional layers can also include the polymeric material.

Floor covering made from an environmentally friendly polylactide-based composite formulation

Environmentally friendly polylactide-based composite formulations

A polymer composition of cellulose esters, plasticizer, a cellulose linked anhydride as a compatibilizer and organically modified clay. The composites have superior tensile and flexural strengths, modulus, dimensional stability and heat deflection temperature (HDT).

Compositions of cellulose esters and layered silicates and process for the preparation thereof

A Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) as prepregs and cured compositions with naturally derived fibers which have been dried for at least three hours is described. The SMC process combines polyester polymer or resin with the fibers preferably continuously. The molded products are useful for a variety a purposes where glass fiber filled polyester polymers are conventionally used.

Biocomposites sheet molding and methods of making those

A solvent-free process for making a polyol fatty acid polyester composition useful for preparation of polyurethanes is described. These compositions are preferably made by reaction of a natural oil (from plant or animal) with a multi-functional hydroxyl compound derived from a natural source, such as sorbitol, in presence of an alkali metal salt or base such as potassium hydroxide as a catalyst which also acts to saponify the reaction mixture. The hydroxyl content of the prepared composition depends on the amount of the multi-functional hydroxyl compound used in the preparation. In another embodiment, the hydroxyl groups of these compositions are reacted with an isocyanate, such as the polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (also known as 4,4'-diphenyl methane diisocyanate, or MDI) to form polyurethanes in a conventional manner.

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Okemos, MI, United States of America

Manjusri Misra